Professional Development Cycle 2023-2025
- Requirements of this PD cycle
- What doesn't qualify?
- Certificate of proof
- Learning Topics
- Eligible Activities
- How to Report
- Where to find CEU sessions?
- Professional Development FAQ
- Continuing Education Resources
What are the requirements of this professional development cycle?
Interns, Registered, and Educator members are required to complete 12 professional development credits each cycle. From the 12 credits, a minimum of 4 Health and Safety and 8 General Education. Only credits completed between July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025, are valid. Carrying over credits is not allowed.
Other activities
Activities like instructing/teaching, volunteering, mentorship/mentee, research, writing and presenting can be claimed 1 credit per year/maximum of 2 credits per cycle. See eligible activities.
What does not qualify?
- Attending trade shows such as IDS, IDEX.
- Self-guided tours and showroom tours.
- Credits taken before July 1, 2023, or after the end of the current cycle.
- Association memberships
- Work experience, internships, and education to meet ARIDO membership.
- Carry-over credits
Certificate of Proof
Members are required to provide a certificate or proof when reporting credits, including your name, the name of the provider or activity, the date of the activity, number of hours/credits.
ARIDO does not mandate “approved education”. Professional, business, technological, management, and other personal development courses that directly relate to your genre of interior design practice will now be accepted regardless of accreditation or providers.
Learning Topics
The topics listed below are grouped by ARIDO's mandated Professional Development program in General Education or Health & Safety. To determine if a course, seminar, or self-directed activity qualifies as Health & Safety or General Education compare it with the information below.
Health and Safety credits for ARIDO are topics related to the Building Code and the health and safety areas that impact the interior environment and the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
General Education (GE)
8 POINTS / CREDITS
Design
- General design
- Sector specific related design (e.g. healthcare, hospitality, retail, institutional, design for the aging population, etc)
- Colour and lighting
- Acoustics
- Ergonomics
- LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
- Mechanical systems
- Electrical systems
- Building systems
- Technology
- Construction Drawing techniques
- Design related software (e.g. AutoCAD, Revit, 3D rendering)
Business Management
- Finance
- Business operations
- Human resources
- Succession planning
- How to sell your business
- Risk management
- Public relations
- Marketing
- Branding
- Customer service/relationship management
Professional Practices
- Budgeting/scheduling
- Contract administration
- Construction management
- Construction law
- Professional liability insurance
- Procurement practices
- Real estate
- Facility management
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
- Recognizing unconscious bias
- Creating an equitable workplace
- Reconciliation
- Designing more accessible and inclusive spaces
- Leadership development
- Building a culture of inclusion
Health & Safety (HS)
4 POINTS / CREDITS
Building Code Specific
- Accessibility and Barrier-Free requirements
- Building Code (provincial or national)
- Energy Efficiency
- Building Code Identification Number (BCIN)
- Sustainability
- WELL-Building Standards
- Occupational Safety and Health administration
- Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
- Universal Design
Other Health and Safety
- Any other education that covers health and safety areas that impact the interior environment and the health, safety and welfare of the public
IMPORTANT: Course providers offering Health & Safety education will not necessarily qualify for ARIDO’s Health & Safety requirement, e.g. ergonomics.
Eligible Activities
Structured Learning - Completing a course or seminar, either in-person or distance learning, in one of the learning topics. Courses taken at a college or university that are not related to meeting the minimum education requirement will qualify. (1 hour of education = 1 CEU Unit)
All of the following credits may be claimed 1 credit claimed per year / Maximum of 2 credits per cycle:
Instructing / Teaching - Development of a course or seminar, either in-person or distance learning, on one of the learning topics.
Research - Conduct research or write a research paper on a topic related to one of the learning topics or a topic related to the profession.
Writing - Writing articles or books related to one of the learning topics or a topic related to the profession. (Including for BLOG//ARIDO)* Interns and Educator members may contact communications@arido.ca to submit content.
Presenting - Development of a presentation related to one of the learning topics or a topic related to the profession.
Volunteering - Committee and/or Board participation that furthers the profession of interior design or in the area related to one of the learning topics. This includes work as part of an ARIDO Standing Committee or for your local ARIDO Chapter.
Mentorship - Serving as a mentor, sharing sessions with new designers, co-op student training in-studio.
Mentee - Participate in a mentorship program where you are mentored by a Registered member. Hours cannot be applied toward the supervised work experience hours needed to become a registered member.
Reporting your Professional Development Credits
Where do I report?
We recommend reporting to the ARIDO PD Dashboard, as ARIDO staff can access your reported credits and provide assistance if needed. You have the option to report to IDCEC. We do not have access to IDCEC, and we are not able to provide any assistance. The IDCEC transcripts are not valid for ARIDO.
IMPORTANT: You do not have to report your credits twice. The credits should be reported either through ARIDO or IDCEC.
How to Report your Hours in the PD Dashboard
How does ARIDO enforce these requirements?
At the end of the July 2023 to June 2025 cycle, ARIDO will conduct an audit by selecting a percentage of members require to complete professional development credits. Audited members who are not in compliance may be fined and/or subjected to termination of their membership due to non-compliance.
What is the timeline for completion?
Members must complete 12 hours in total over two years. Only courses/seminars taken from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025, are valid to report as credits. Any courses/seminars taken before July 1, 2023, or after June 30, 2025, are not valid.
Carryover courses/credits are not allowed.
A certificate or proof of attendance/completion is required for every credit.
What no longer applies?
- Work experience or internships to meet ARIDO membership requirements or to completed education programs. Studying/preparing for the NCIDQ exams.
- Visits to tradeshows shows, self-guided tours, or showroom tours do not count as research. Shows like IDS, IDEX, etc.
- Association membership
Other activities such as volunteering, mentoring, teaching, research, etc. have a limit of 2 credits per PD 2-year cycle and a document/proof is required to report the credit. See Eligible CEU activities above.
For questions about the ARIDO reporting system or PD requirements, please contact Jose Tanabe, ARIDO Regulatory Coordinator.
Where to find CEU credits?
CEU Listings - Latest Posts
ARIDO provides an opportunity to CEU providers to advertise their events and offerings to the ARIDO Membership via the CEU Listings. These listings are submitted by CEU providers and may be a scheduled event or a virtual offering. They are reviewed by ARIDO for content, and are available for 30 days after the post is published.
Continuing Education Resources
Ontario Summit and ARIDO AGM Recordings - 2023
The recordings of the Ontario Summit sessions, Member Townhall, and ARIDO AGM have now been added to ARIDOaccess to the Ontario Summit Session Recordings + CEU Reporting Page.
Women in Design and Construction (1 GE credit)
Ontario Black History (1 GE credit)
True Accessible Design: A Deep Dive (1 HS credit)
Request your proof for these recordings or the 2023 Ontario Summit on this page.
Ontario Summit and ARIDO AGM Recordings - 2022
Find the recordings of the Ontario Summit 2022 sessions, Member Townhall, and ARIDO AGM on this page Ontario Summit Session Recordings + CEU Reporting.
Increasing Diversity within Post-Secondary Design Schools (1 GE credit)
Unconscious and Implicit Biases in Design (Diversity in Design) (1 GE credit)
Tokenism vs Diversity vs Representation in the Workplace (1 GE credit)
Accessibility in Design: Understanding the Legal Risks (1 HS credit)
Request your proof for these recordings or the 2022 Ontario Summit on this page.
WEBINARS FROM 2021
The Power of Colour Sessions
Members can watch the two Power of Colour Sessions on the Equity, Diversity, Advancement and Accessibility Resources page.
Other CEUs
While the best effort was made to access and gather the most up-to-date content, ARIDO cannot warrant the completeness, currency or accuracy of the information provided by a third-party and cannot be held liable for any direct or indirect loss or damage which may arise from use or reliance you may make of any information contained therein.
AEC Daily Online learning centre - source of free continuing education courses for designers, architects, and engineers
The Building Code Tutor The Building Code Tutor is a web-based instructional program developed by Muniak Enterprises Inc. that provides practical and interactive training in the fire and life safety requirements of Part 3 of the Building Codes used across Canada.
[note: ARIDO members get a 15% discount using the code IDCBCT]
GreenCE Sustainable Design Continuing Education - Affiliate of Ron Blank & Associates, Inc.
Interiors & Sources Source of free continuing education
[note: registration required to view available CEU articles]
Wallcoverings Association Non-profit trade association offers continuing education via in-person and distance-learning format